Closet bar



Feb. 17, 1931. w E 1,793,035

CLOSET BAR Filed Dec. 28, 1927 INVENTOR.

61 5 CM/ MAQ ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 7, 1931 1 UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE KARL H. WHITNEY, OF KIRKSVILLE, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO WHITMANIS MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, INC., OI KIRKSVILLE, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF M118 SOURI Application filed December 28, 1927. Serial No. 243,184.

My invention relates to improvements in closet bars. One of its objects is to provide an improved closet-bar structure adapted to be assembled and mounted either permanently or temporarily with reference to the side walls of a closet or other similar abutments so as to serve as a support for a series of clothes hangers orother articles to be supported. Another object is to provide improved means to interengage and adjust the strut members to increase or decrease the length of the bar at will to enable the bars to be applied to closets of difierent dimensions. Another object is to provide an improved structure adapted to attain a maximum strength and rigidity in the bars for a given weight of material employed. Another object is to provide improved thrust shoes and means to attach and articulate the shoes relative to the bar sections. My invention also comprises certain details of form and arrangement and combination of components, all of which will be fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a closet-bar structure mounted in position for use between two walls of a closet.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the thrust shoes detached.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the bar sections detached.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the other bar section detached. 0

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a closet bar structure assembled and before being mounted with reference to the walls of a closet.

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail taken on line 66 of Fig. 1.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one embodiment of my invention in which 15 and 16 represent two sections of a closet bar or strut. The bar section 15 is provided at one end with a shoe 17, and the bar section 16 is provided at one end with a shoe 18.

Each shoe 17 or 18 comprises a tread 19 of rubber, cork or similar material ada ted to have a firm surface engagement with t e face of the closet walls 20, and to resist displacement upon the face of the wall 20, and a CLOSET BAR stamped metal backing member 21. The tread is preferably of a resilient or yielding nature under pressure. The backing memher is provided with side flanges 22 between which the side edges of the tread members are engaged or grasped. Jihe rear portion of the backing member is provided with a vertical rearwardly extending rib 24 from whichprojects rearwardly a stamped tongue 25. The side flanges 26 of the rib 24 are also notched or recessed at 27 to receive the end of one of the bar sections 15 or 16. One end of the bar section 15 is provided with a lop or eye 28, formed by stamping inwardly or downwardly a tongue of metal 29 from the body of the bar section 15. The tongue 25 when originally struck up from the backing member 21 is straight or substantially parallel with the face of the rib 24's as shown in Fig. 2. When the shoe is assembled with reference to the end of the bar section 15, the shoe is inclined relative to the end of the bar section 15 until the tongue 25 can be inserted between the loop 28 and the end of the tongue 29. Thereafter the shoe may be straightened so as to stand with its tread at substantially right angles to the length of the bar section 15, which causes the end of the tongue 29 to bear upon the end of the tongue 25 and bend the tongue 25 into a hook as shown in Fig. 1, in which position the tongue 25 serves to retain the shoe in engagement with the bar section 15, and to prevent the shoe becoming detached and lost. The opposite shoe 18 is similarly provided with a vertical rib 24, a tongue 25 and notch 27, which is engaged by the end of the bar section 16. The bar section 16 is also provided with a loop or eye 28 and a tongue 29 similar to those of the bar section 15. When the shoes 17 and 18- are in position relative to the ends of the bar sections 15 and 16, the ends of the bar sections relative to theends of the bar sections against 100 lateral displacement.

The bar sections 15 and 16 are inverted channel or U-shaped in cross section with the bar section 16 of slightly less width than the width of the bar sect-ion 15, so that a portion of the bar section 16 nests snugly into a ortion of the bar sect-ion 15 as in icated in ig. 6. The bar section 15 is provided with a series of rectangular perforations 32. One end of the bar section 16 is provided with a tongue or projection 33 which is adapted to enter and operatively engage with any1 one of the perforations 32 so as to form a inge or fulcrum for the movement of the bar section 16 relative to the bar section 15. The bar section 15 is provided with a row or series of perforations 3t throu h each of its side flanges 35. The bar section 16 is provided with one or more perforations 36 through each of its side flanges in position to register with a pair of the perforations 34, so as to permit a cotter in 37, or other pin to be insorted through th the perforations 34.- and the perforations 36 in each flange of the bar sections 15 and 16 as indicated in Fig. 6 to lock the two bar sections in operative position.

After the bar sections 15 and 16 and their shoes have been assembled together substantially as shown in Fig. 5, and with the tongue 33 in a selected erforation 32 such that when the two bar sections 15 and 16 are forced from the toggle position Fig. 5 into alignment one with the other, as shown in Fig. 1, the shoe treads will be forced so firmly into contact with the walls of the closet as to firmly and rigidly retain the bar locked in its adjusted position and to permit the bar to support the weight and strain incident to suporting the clothin to be suspended therefrom. As soon as the %ar sections and shoes have been adjusted into operative relation to the closet walls the cotter pin 37 is inserted in position and its ends spread as shown in Fig. 6 to lock the bar sections and shoes against displacement from their operative position. The bar is also adapted to be readily detached and set up in another closet or locality.

My improved structure is of re atively light weight and sufiicient strength for the purpose intended. It is adapted to be nested and shipped in relatively small and compact packages, and when required for use to be readily assembled and adjusted to o erative position without the use of tools, an to operatively engage the walls of closets of widely different dimensions.

one end, a series of perforations along its middle section, and a series of perforations through its side flanges, a second channeled bar section having a shoe at one end and a tongue at its opposite end adapted to engage any one of said middle section perforations and to fulcrum thereon relative to said first bar section and provided with a pair of perforations throu h its side flanges adapted to register with t e perforations in the side flanges of said first bar section, and a pin ada ted to ass through the perforations in t 0 side anges of both of said bar sections to lock said bar sections and shoes rigidly in operative position. L

2. A closet bar adapted to", be frictionally held in place between two stationary uprights by its lateral thrust, comprising a first bar section, a second bar section fulcruming upon and relative to said first bar section, a shoe at one end of said first bar section having a notched vertical rib engaging the end of said first bar section so as to resist vertical or lateral displacement of the shoe relative to the first bar section and to fulcrum the shoe upon the end of said first bar section, a shoe at the free end of said second bar section having a notched vertical rib engaging the end of said second bar section so as to resist vertical and lateral displacement of the shoe relative to said second bar section and to fulcrum the shoe upon the end of said second bar section, and means to lock said first and second bar sections together in operative position.

3. A closet bar adapted to be frictionally held in place between two stationary uprights by the lateral thrust, comprising a first channeled bar section having a recess formed near the free end thereof, a downwardly and outwardl extending tongue member on said bar a acent said recess, said first bar section having a series of perforations along its middle section, and also having a series of perforations through its side flanges, a second channeled bar section having a recess and a tongue member at its free end corresponding to those on said first channeled bar section, a tongue at its opposite end and adapted to engage any one of said middle section perforations and to fulcrum thereon relative to saidfirst bar section and provided with a pair of perforations through its side flanges adapted to register with the perforations in the side flanges of said first bar section, a pair of shoes one ositioned at the free end of each of said cianneled bar sections, said shoes having a notched vertical rib adapted to engage the free ends of said bar sections to resist vertical or lateral displacement of the shoes relative to the bar sections, tongue members on said shoes adapted to engage the recesses near the free ends of the bar sections, said tongue members on the .free ends of the bar sections pressing against the tongue members on the shoes alilgned position.

11 testlmony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

KARL H. WHITNEY. 

